Armed Forces: Pensions

Lord Roberts of Conwy: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What notice was given of the meeting held on 20 June by the senior president of tribunals with representatives of some ex-service organisations to discuss the future of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal; what written advice was given to Ministers as a result of the meeting; and what is the constitutional position of a senior judge taking such a step, having regard especially to the letters about the meeting sent to Sir Robert Carnwath by the Royal British Legion and to Lord Morris of Manchester by the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Following concerns raised by ex-servicemen's organisations with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Bridget Prentice MP, that they had not been consulted appropriately in relation to the proposed move of the Pensions Appeal Tribunal to a new, unified tribunal structure, the Minister suggested that it would be useful for them to discuss the move with the senior president of tribunals, Lord Justice Carnwath.
	Lord Justice Carnwath agreed to the meeting, and a number of veterans' organisations were subsequently contacted on 12 June by his office and invited to attend a meeting on 20 June. Representatives from the Royal British Legion; National Gulf Veterans and Families Association; War Widows' Association of Great Britain; British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association; British Nuclear Test Veterans Association; St Dunstan's; and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association attended the meeting.
	No formal written advice was offered to the Minister following the meeting, although some limited feedback was provided to her private office.
	The senior president's role was entirely consistent with his constitutional position and his statutory functions under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.

Badgers and Bovine Tuberculosis

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any research is being undertaken on other species in relation to bovine tuberculosis; and whether such research covers any link between badgers, the loss of hedgehogs and dwindling bee populations.

Lord Rooker: Previous research undertaken by the Central Science Laboratory and Oxford University has shown that the only wild mammalian species which act as reservoirs of bovine tuberculosis, and thus are a risk to cattle, are badgers and some species of deer. Other species may be infected with TB but are end hosts (ie do not transmit the disease further).
	Quantitative risk assessments commissioned by Defra demonstrate that the risk of cattle infection from deer is only likely to be significant if the prevalence of TB infection in deer is high. The indication from research is that the prevalence of TB infection in deer is not high and is estimated to be generally less than 5 per cent. The ecology and behaviour of wild deer makes it unlikely that they would have any close direct contact with cattle.
	Defra has commissioned a wild deer density and disease prevalence study to ensure that our evidence base is robust enough to allow the department to take decisions on possible future disease control measures for wild deer.
	Previous research has shown that there was a rise in hedgehog populations in areas in which badgers were culled in the randomised badger culling trial. There is no current research identifying links between badgers, the loss of hedgehogs and dwindling bee populations.

Buses

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to improve the operation of the national concessionary bus fare scheme around the Welsh border where cross-border services operate; and
	What steps they are taking to improve the operation of the national concessionary bus fare scheme around the Scottish border where cross-border services operate.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The national bus concession now allows off-peak travel on local buses throughout England. Local authorities in areas that border the devolved Administrations remain free to make their own arrangements to extend the concession to bus services that cross borders, at their own cost.
	The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 contains a power to introduce mutual recognition of concessionary bus passes across the UK. However, this would be a highly complex undertaking and not without cost and we have no immediate plans to implement it at this stage.

Criminal Justice: Women

Lord Acton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Statement by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 24 June (WS 921—3) stating that "a cross-departmental Criminal Justice Women's Unit has been established with a senior civil servant appointed to head up the unit", (a) what grade is the senior civil servant, and (b) whether the appointment is full time.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The senior civil servant appointed to head up the cross-departmental Criminal Justice Women's Unit is a deputy director, and the appointment is full time, reporting to a director with overall responsibility for women. The head of unit leads on managing and co-ordinating the work on women in the criminal justice system across all relevant departments.

Crown Prosecution Service

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 3 June (WA 47), how many legally qualified staff were employed and at what average cost in the Crown Prosecution Service in England in 2007—08.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Over the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) employed 3,060 people in England who were legally qualified.
	The average cost of employing legally qualified staff at the CPS in England for 2007-08 was £45,247 per annum.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 21 April (WA 234), 2 May (WA 109—10), 19 June (WA 177—78), 24 June (WA 227 and 1 July (WA 27—8) regarding the evidence available to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), to what extent the scientific consensus referred to was based (1) on personal opinions and (2) an objective analysis of all published data; and whether they will provide references for all scientific papers considered by the HFEA which demonstrate (a) the potential of currently licensed cytoplasmic hybrids to develop into a human being if implanted in a woman; and (b) the intrinsic lack of potential in any embryo cultured on a layer of feeder cells for more than 14 days, despite the ability of mouse embryos to develop contractions resembling a heart beat after cultivation in vitro.

Lord Darzi of Denham: We have been advised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) that the scientific consensus formed was largely based on an extensive review of published literature on the scientific context and biological issues surrounding the creation of human-animal embryos for research, including nuclear reprogramming, the interaction of the nuclear and mitochondrial genome and the mixing of human and animal mitochondria.
	The literature review also analysed alternative avenues of research and alternative sources of stem cells. In addition, the HFEA consulted a small number of stakeholders on specific scientific questions concerned with human-animal embryos. Responses were gathered from the HFEA's Scientific and Clinical Advances Group, the HFEA Horizon Scanning Panel and external stakeholders including the British Fertility Society, Human Genetics Alert and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
	No research has been published specifically on the potential of cytoplasmic hybrids to develop if implanted in a woman. This is because cytoplasmic hybrids cannot be transferred into a woman, as this activity is prohibited by the Reproductive Cloning Act 2001. The HFEA therefore did not consider any specific studies on this as part of their consultation. However, the HFEA did consider published literature on the development of cytoplasmic hybrid embryos in vitro and on the interaction between mitochondria and nuclear DNA. This included:
	Illmensee K, Levanduski M & Zavos P (2006) "Evaluation of the embryonic preimplantation potential of human adult somatic cells via an embryo interspecies bioassay using bovine oocytes". Fertility and Sterility 85(Suppl 1): 1248-60;Chen Y et al. (2003) "Embryonic stem cells generated by nuclear transfer of human somatic nuclei into rabbit oocytes". Cell Res. 13(4): 251-63;Chang K H et al.(2003) "Blastocyst formation, karyotype, and mitochondrial DNA of interspecies embryos derived from nuclear transfer of human cord fibroblasts into enucleated bovine oocytes". Fertility and Sterility 80: 1380-87;Bowles E J, Campbell K & St. John J (2007) Chapter 10, "Nuclear Transfer: Preservation of a Nuclear Genome at the Expense of Its Associated mtDNA. Genome(s)" Current Topics in Developmental Biology 77: 251-90; andSt John & Lovell-Badge (2007) "Human-animal cytoplasmic hybrid embryos, mitochondria, and an energetic debate" Nature Cell Biology 9: 988-92.
	No published data on the potential of embryos cultured on feeder cells beyond 14 days were considered. This is because embryos are not permitted to be cultured in vitro beyond 14 days. This issue was therefore not considered to be relevant to the consultation.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 1 July (WA 28) regarding Clause 4 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, to what extent the quantitative criterion underlying that clause (whereby it has been stressed that animal DNA does not predominate in the resulting embryos) reflects the mixing of human sperm with eggs of Mesocricetus auratus, in light of what is known about the nuclear genome size (in base pairs) of each respective species and the total mass (in picograms) of mitochondrial DNA typically found in mammalian eggs.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Provision regarding the mixing of human gametes with the gametes of an animal for research purposes is provided for under new Section 4A(6)(b) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, as introduced by Clause 4 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (HFE). The "hamster test" is also provided for separately in the HFE Bill through provisions in Schedule 2 to the HFE Bill. The "predominantly human" provision is only a specific requirement of new Section 4A(6)(e).

Employment Agencies

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many executives and advisory non-departmental public bodies use employment agencies to find or shortlist candidates for vacancies; and what standards are required for acknowledging applications and informing applicants of the outcome.

Lord Davies of Oldham: These are decisions for individual non-departmental public bodies. The Government do not hold this information centrally.

Energy: Nuclear Plants

Lord Jenkin of Roding: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the updated transmission entry capacity register, published on 7 July by National Grid plc, which looks seven years forward at the demand for grid access, appears to have no entries related to new nuclear build apart from those of British Energy plc.

Baroness Vadera: It is for electricity generating companies to decide when to upgrade or build new transmission capacity and to make the appropriate arrangements with national grid. The published register only includes entries once an agreement has been entered into between the grid and the party concerned. It does not include details when an application has been made to the grid but not agreed.

Extremism

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Following the publication of Preventing Violent Extremism: A Strategy for Delivery (May 2008, Ref. 288113), whether they will issue new guidance to the police or Crown Prosecution Service on criminal prosecutions.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Following the development of a national strategy to enhance the prosecution of extremist radicalisers, led by the former Attorney-General, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) issued guidance on the prosecution of offences relating to violent extremism. The prosecution guidance was first issued in July 2007 and is kept under review. The guidance is available on the CPS website. The strategy was also underpinned by new working arrangements for the police and the CPS.
	The Government have published detailed guidance to support those working to deliver all aspects of the strategy of preventing violent extremism, The Prevent Strategy: A Guide for Local Partners in England (May 2008. Ref: 288324). It acknowledges that action by the police and the CPS through the courts is an important part of the prevent strategy.

Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund

Baroness Neville-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which Muslim organisations have received funding from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund since January 2006.

Baroness Andrews: A total of 140 Muslim organisations have successfully received funding in both rounds of the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund. A list of all the successful groups granted funding in each round of the FCCBF is attached to annex A.
	A comprehensive list of organisations granted funding is also available on the Community Development Fund website at: www.cdf.org.uk.
	
		
			 Annex A 
			 Organisation Round 
			 Taleem Youth Forum Round 1 
			 Muslim Women's Network (MWN) Round 1 
			 Al-Mahdi Institute Round 1 
			 Victoria (Westminster) Muslim Welfare Trust Round 1 
			 Jamiat Ahl-E-Hadith Nelson Round 1 
			 UK Islamic Mission (Blackheath Branch) Round 1 
			 MIDAS Round 1 
			 Dudley Muslim Association Round 1 
			 Green Light—Muslim Youth Forum (Dudley) Round 1 
			 Bangladeshi Association/Central Jamme Mosque Reading Round 1 
			 Islamic Community Centre Round 1 
			 Medina Islamic Education Centre Round 1 
			 Hounslow Muslim Women's Association Round 1 
			 Gargaar Somali Welfare Association (GSWA) (previously Somali Cultural & Welfare Association) Round 1 
			 Bath Islamic Society Limited Round 1 
			 Gravesend & Dartford Muslim Association Round 1 
			 Preston Pakistan Cultural Society (PPCS) Round 1 
			 The Khoja Shia Ithna-asheri Muslim Community of Milton Keynes Round 1 
			 Bradford and District Women's Forum Round 1 
			 Wings of Hope Community Association Round 1 
			 Southampton Muslim Women's Group (SMWG) Round 1 
			 Muslim Women's Society for the Future Round 1 
			 The Bradford Sunni Muslim Khalifa Society Round 1 
			 Hyderi Islamic Centre Round 1 
			 Harlow Muslim Women's Support Group Round 1 
			 Voices Round 1 
			 Youth Empowerment Scheme Round 1 
			 Basildon Islamic Centre Round 1 
			 Islamic Cultural Centre (Wembley ICC) Round 1 
			 Muslim Women's Helpline Round 1 
			 Islamic Brotherhood Round 1 
			 Fountain of Light Women's Group Round 1 
			 Darul Uloom Leicester Round 1 
			 Greenwich African/African Caribbean Women's Organisation (GACWO) Round 1 
			 Ebrahim Community College Round 1 
			 Islamic Awareness and Education Project (IAEP) Round 1 
			 The Muslim Welfare Association Round 1 
			 Community Health Action Trust—formerly Brent and Harrow Community Health Projects (BHCHP) Round 1 
			 FATIMA Women's Network Round 1 
			 Al-Khoei Foundation Round 1 
			 Coventry Muslim Community Association Ltd Round 1 
			 The Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre (MCHC) Trust Round 1 
			 Al-Noor Youth Association Round 1 
			 Horn of Africa Improvement Link (HAIL) Round 1 
			 Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Round 1 
			 Women's Empowerment Network Round 1 
			 Nisaa Society (The Women Society) Round 1 
			 Khayaal Theatre Company Round 1 
			 Essex Islamic Trust Round 1 
			 The Muslim Council of Britain Round 1 
			 Student Represent Round 1 
			 The OAK Project on behalf of UK Islamic Mission Round 1 
			 Daru-Al-Moameneen Round 1 
			 Islamic Institute of Development and Research (IIDR) Round 1 
			 B&H Islamic Centre London Round 1 
			 Muslim Council of Wales Round 1 
			 An-Noor Arabic School Association Round 1 
			 Muslim Action Forum Round 1 
			 Inspired Sisters Round 1 
			 Muslim Community Centre Round 1 
			 Brighton & Hove Muslim Forum Round 1 
			 Somali Education Development Centre (SEDEC) Round 1 
			 Pakistan Centre Round 1 
			 East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre Round 1 
			 Da'watul Islam UK & Eire for Darul Ummah—"House of the Community" Round 1 
			 The World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithnaasheri Muslim Communities Round 1 
			 Islamic Society of Britain, Manchester Regional Branch Round 1 
			 Islamic Centre Round 1 
			 MKSIA Community—Leicester Round 1 
			 Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Round 1 
			 Karimia Institute Round 1 
			 Imam Al-Hassan Association Round 1 
			 MSI Jamaat of Essex Round 1 
			 Islamic Society of Britain (Bradford) Round 1 
			 Social Enterprise Development Initiative (SEDI) Round 1 
			 Baitul Aman Jam-E Masjid and Madrasha Round 1 
			 Masjid-E-Saliheen Round 1 
			 An-Nisa Society Round 1 
			 Social Unity Foundation of Innovation (SUFI) Trust Ltd Round 1 
			 Muslim Enterprise Development Service (MEDS) Round 1 
			 Oxford Muslim Community Association Round 1 
			 Al-Noor Primary School Round 1 
			 The Islamic Foundation Round 1 
			 UKIM Youth Active Round 1 
			 Crescent Youth Club Round 1 
			 Alevi Cultural Centre Round 1 
			 Islamic Society of Britain (Luton) Round 1 
			 Central London Youth Development Trust Round 1 
			 Oxford iMap—Oxford Islam and Muslims Awareness Project Round 1 
			 Muslim Youth Helpline Round 1 
			 Bristol Muslim Cultural Society Limited (BMCS) Round 1 
			 Bangladeshi Community Association Round 1 
			 Federation of Muslim Organizations (FMO) Leicestershire Round 1 
			 Bournemouth Islamic Centre (Islam Awareness Project) Round 1 
			 Rumi Foundation Round 1 
			 Al Ghazali Multicultural Centre Round 1 
			 Preston Muslim Forum Round 2 
			 Culloden Bangladeshi Parents Association (CBPA) Round 2 
			 Education for Sustainability Network Round 2 
			 Aspirations and Achievements Group Round 2 
			 Green Light Muslim Youth Forum—Sandwell Round 2 
			 I Serve Ltd Round 2 
			 Tassibee Round 2 
			 Southwark Muslim Women's Association Round 2 
			 Westminster Muslim Welfare Trust (WMWT) Round 2 
			 Muslim Sisters Round 2 
			 Tipton Young Asian Women's Forum Round 2 
			 Smethwick Islamic Academy Round 2 
			 Caribbean Islamic Cultural Society Round 2 
			 Muslim Enterprise Development Service (MEDS) Round 2 
			 Green Light Muslim Youth Forum (Dudley) Round 2 
			 Dudley Muslim Association (DMA) Round 2 
			 Muslim Women's Welfare Association Round 2 
			 Victoria (Westminster) Muslim Welfare Trust Round 2 
			 Hamara HLC Round 2 
			 Uganda Muslim Community in UK Round 2 
			 The Islamic Centre of England Round 2 
			 Preston Muslim Society, Quwwatul Islam Masjid Round 2 
			 Wessex Jamaat Round 2 
			 Faith in the Future Round 2 
			 Redbridge Forum Against Extremism and Islamophobia Round 2 
			 Beckton Islamic Association Round 2 
			 KSIMC of London Hujjat Islamic Centre Round 2 
			 An-Nisa Society Round 2 
			 School Link Project—"Food 4 Thought" (F4T) Study Support Project Round 2 
			 Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH) Round 2 
			 Noor Youth Library and Reading Club Round 2 
			 The Council of European Jamaats Round 2 
			 North London Muslim Community Centre Round 2 
			 Lancashire Council of Mosques Round 2 
			 North London Central Mosque Trust Round 2 
			 Al-Khoei Foundation Round 2 
			 Skipton Islamic Society Round 2 
			 Aayatiin Foundation for Relief and Development (AFFORD) Round 2 
			 Bristol Muslim Cultural Society (BMCS) Round 2 
			 Islamic Awareness and Education Project Round 2 
			 Karimia Institute Round 2 
			 Leeds Muslim Consortium, LEAP Leeds Education Achievement Project Round 2 
			 Kent Muslim Welfare Association Round 2 
			 Walsall Bangladeshi Progressive Society Round 2

Food: Wheat

The Duke of Montrose: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the current wheat resource in the United Kingdom and the European Community; and what that represents in terms of days of consumption.

Lord Rooker: UK wheat stocks at the end of June 2008 have been forecast by Defra to amount to some 1.9 million tonnes. This represents around 52 days of UK wheat consumption. EU wheat stocks have been forecast by the European Commission at some 15.7 million tonnes. This represents around 53 days of EU wheat consumption.
	Wheat available for consumption in the year 1 July 2008 to 31 June 2009 will be a combination of the stocks at the end of June 2008, production from the 2008 UK harvest and imports. It is not possible to forecast wheat production at this stage, but the Defra December 2007 survey of agriculture estimates that wheat plantings for the 2008 harvest were 10 per cent higher than the year before.

Government Equalities Office

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many and what proportion of staff employed by the Government Equalities Office are (a) from black and minority ethnic groups, and (b) female.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Of the 88 staff working in the Government Equalities Office, 11 (12 per cent) are from black and minority ethnic groups and 49 (56 per cent) are female.

Health: GPs

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many general practitioners there are per head of population in each (a) county, and (b) region in England.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The number of general practitioners per head of population in each primary care trust (PCT) and each strategic health authority (SHA) region is shown in the following table. Information is not available by county.
	
		
			 Number of practitioners per 100,000 population by PCT in England, as at 30 September 2007 
			  Headcount and Population 
			Practitioner Headcount (excluding registrars and retainers) Population Practitioner Headcount (excluding registrars and retainers) per 100,000 population 
			 England   33,364 50,762,945 65.7 
			 Q30 North East SHA  1,779 2,555,708 69.6 
			  5D7 Newcastle PCT 181 270,462 66.9 
			  5D8 North Tyneside PCT 147 195,045 75.4 
			  5D9 Hartlepool PCT 64 91,137 70.2 
			  5E1 North Tees PCT 112 189,141 59.2 
			  5J9 Darlington PCT 70 99,344 70.5 
			  5KF Gateshead PCT 143 190,461 75.1 
			  5KG South Tyneside PCT 97 151,020 64.2 
			  5KL Sunderland Teaching PCT 185 280,593 65.9 
			  5KM Middlesbrough PCT 97 138,434 70.1 
			  5ND County Durham PCT 349 500,711 69.7 
			  5QR Redcar & Cleveland PCT 92 139,494 66.0 
			  TAC Northumberland Care Trust 242 309,866 78.1 
			 Q31 North West SHA  4,436 6,886,589 64.4 
			  5CC Blackburn with Darwen PCT 88 141,239 62.3 
			  5F5 Salford PCT 158 218,029 72.5 
			  5F7 Stockport PCT 190 280,619 67.7 
			  5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 180 305,495 58.9 
			  5HP Blackpool PCT 89 142,727 62.4 
			  5HQ Bolton PCT 174 262,442 66.3 
			  5J2 Warrington PCT 118 194,043 60.8 
			  5J4 Knowsley PCT 83 151,302 54.9 
			  5J5 Oldham PCT 129 219,578 58.7 
			  5JX Bury PCT 106 182,906 58.0 
			  5LH Tameside and Glossop PCT 134 247,841 54.1 
			  5NE Cumbria PCT 374 496,151 75.4 
			  5NF North Lancashire Teaching PCT 201 329,057 61.1 
			  5NG Central Lancashire PCT 264 451,858 58.4 
			  5NH East Lancashire Teaching PCT 218 384,805 56.7 
			  5NJ Sefton PCT 164 277,421 59.1 
			  5NK Wirral PCT 221 311,210 71.0 
			  5NL Liverpool PCT 315 436,072 72.2 
			  5NM Halton & St Helens PCT 185 297,099 62.3 
			  5NN West Cheshire PCT 180 235,197 76.5 
			  5NP Central & Eastern Cheshire PCT 290 451,136 64.3 
			  5NQ Heywood, Middleton & Rochdale PCT 123 206,531 59.6 
			  5NR Trafford PCT 137 211,847 64.7 
			  5NT Manchester PCT 315 451,984 69.7 
			  Q32 Yorkshire and Humber SHA 3,460 5,139,965 67.3 
			  5EF North Lincolnshire PCT 99 155,234 63.8 
			  5H8 Rotherham PCT 151 253,279 59.6 
			  5J6 Calderdale PCT 113 198,535 56.9 
			  5JE Barnsley PCT 128 223,509 57.3 
			  5N1 Leeds PCT 503 750,249 67.0 
			  5N2 Kirklees PCT 241 398,192 60.5 
			  5N3 Wakefield District PCT 226 321,157 70.4 
			  5N4 Sheffield PCT 399 525,783 75.9 
			  5N5 Doncaster PCT 175 290,298 60.3 
			  5NV North Yorkshire & York PCT 578 783,337 73.8 
			  5NW East Riding Of Yorkshire PCT 193 330,878 58.3 
			  5NX Hull Teaching PCT 153 256,215 59.7 
			  5NY Bradford & Airedale Teaching PCT 403 493,108 81.7 
			  TAN North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Plus 98 160,191 61.2 
			 Q33 East Midlands SHA  2,656 4,333,208 61.3 
			  5EM Nottingham City PCT 191 286,378 66.7 
			  5ET Bassetlaw PCT 65 111,431 58.3 
			  5N6 Derbyshire County PCT 461 720,652 64.0 
			  5N7 Derby City PCT 161 236,298 68.1 
			  5N8 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 389 657,656 59.1 
			  5N9 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 415 688,624 60.3 
			  5PA Leicestershire County & Rutland PCT 383 673,412 56.9 
			  5PC Leicester City Teaching PCT 193 289,655 66.6 
			  5PD Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 398 669,102 59.5 
			 Q34 West Midlands SHA  3,432 5,366,694 63.9 
			  5CN Herefordshire PCT 137 177,816 77.0 
			  5M1 South Birmingham PCT 267 339,112 78.7 
			  5M2 Shropshire County PCT 203 289,274 70.2 
			  5M3 Walsall Teaching PCT 135 254,537 53.0 
			  5MD Coventry Teaching PCT 200 306,642 65.2 
			  5MK Telford and Wrekin PCT 96 161,904 59.3 
			  5MV Wolverhampton City PCT 135 236,613 57.1 
			  5MX Heart Of Birmingham Teaching PCT 176 271,228 64.9 
			  5PE Dudley PCT 188 305,253 61.6 
			  5PF Sandwell PCT 181 287,561 62.9 
			  5PG Birmingham East & North PCT 248 396,163 62.6 
			  5PH North Staffordshire PCT 113 211,203 53.5 
			  5PJ Stoke On Trent Teaching PCT 145 247,563 58.6 
			  5PK South Staffordshire PCT 349 603,695 57.8 
			  5PL Worcestershire PCT 398 552,943 72.0 
			  5PM Warwickshire PCT 318 522,232 60.9 
			  TAM Solihull Care Trust 143 202,955 70.5 
			 Q35 East England SHA  3,510 5,606,570 62.6 
			  5GC Luton PCT 103 186,782 55.1 
			  5P1 South East Essex PCT 185 329,598 56.1 
			  5P2 Bedfordshire PCT 255 403,907 63.1 
			  5P3 East & North Hertfordshire PCT 318 527,861 60.2 
			  5P4 West Hertfordshire PCT 352 530,725 66.3 
			  5PN Peterborough PCT 98 163,265 60.0 
			  5PP Cambridgeshire PCT 412 589,605 69.9 
			  5PQ Norfolk PCT 498 739,043 67.4 
			  5PR Great Yarmouth & Waveney Teaching PCT 142 210,156 67.6 
			  5PT Suffolk PCT 394 585,281 67.3 
			  5PV West Essex PCT 171 274,891 62.2 
			  5PW North East Essex PCT 184 315,461 58.3 
			  5PX Mid Essex PCT 207 361,655 57.2 
			  5PY South West Essex Teaching PCT 191 388,340 49.2 
			 Q36 London SHA  4,953 7,512,372 65.9 
			  5A4 Havering PCT 130 227,340 57.2 
			  5A5 Kingston PCT 115 155,917 73.8 
			  5A7 Bromley PCT 203 299,135 67.9 
			  5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 140 222,626 62.9 
			  5A9 Barnet PCT 218 328,562 66.3 
			  5AT Hillingdon PCT 136 249,980 54.4 
			  5C1 Enfield PCT 164 285,303 57.5 
			  5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 80 165,681 48.3 
			  5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 192 216,110 88.8 
			  5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 156 212,804 73.3 
			  5C5 Newham PCT 192 248,383 77.3 
			  5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 152 225,657 67.4 
			  5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 109 171,410 63.6 
			  5HX Ealing PCT 203 306,376 66.3 
			  5HY Hounslow PCT 129 218,597 59.0 
			  5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 196 271,425 72.2 
			  5K6 Harrow PCT 142 214,573 66.2 
			  5K7 Camden PCT 152 227,453 66.8 
			  5K8 Islington PCT 130 185,488 70.1 
			  5K9 Croydon PCT 214 336,966 63.5 
			  5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 101 178,021 56.7 
			  5LC Westminster PCT 139 231,874 59.9 
			  5LD Lambeth PCT 247 271,950 90.8 
			  5LE Southwark PCT 187 269,184 69.5 
			  5LF Lewisham PCT 181 255,652 70.8 
			  5LG Wandsworth PCT 201 278,951 72.1 
			  5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 119 179,509 66.3 
			  5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 243 382,162 63.6 
			  5NA Redbridge PCT 126 251,942 50.0 
			  5NC Waltham Forest PCT 148 221,747 66.7 
			  TAK Bexley Care Trust 108 221,594 48.7 
			 Q37 South East Coast SHA  2,700 4,236,509 63.7 
			  5L3 Medway PCT 130 251,678 51.7 
			  5LQ Brighton and Hove City PCT 167 251,428 66.4 
			  5P5 Surrey PCT 718 1,073,478 66.9 
			  5P6 West Sussex Teaching PCT 530 770,784 68.8 
			  5P7 East Sussex Downs & Weald PCT 220 330,148 66.6 
			  5P8 Hastings & Rother PCT 113 176,075 64.2 
			  5P9 West Kent PCT 384 662,435 58.0 
			  5QA Eastern & Coastal Kent Teaching PCT 438 720,483 60.8 
			 Q38 South Central SHA  2,638 3,995,357 66.0 
			  5CQ Milton Keynes PCT 145 230,294 63.0 
			  5FE Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 118 196,379 60.1 
			  5L1 Southampton City PCT 171 228,635 74.8 
			  5QC Hampshire PCT 805 1,265,916 63.6 
			  5QD Buckinghamshire PCT 331 500,703 66.1 
			  5QE Oxfordshire PCT 457 607,248 75.3 
			  5QF Berkshire West PCT 302 445,351 67.8 
			  5QG Berkshire East Teaching PCT 222 382,300 58.1 
			  5QT Isle of Wight Healthcare PCT 87 138,531 62.8 
			 Q39 South West SHA  3,800 5,129,973 74.1 
			  5A3 South Gloucestershire PCT 176 254,395 69.2 
			  5F1 Plymouth Teaching PCT 190 248,103 76.6 
			  5FL Bath and North East Somerset PCT 124 175,628 70.6 
			  5K3 Swindon PCT 124 192,504 64.4 
			  5M8 North Somerset PCT 129 201,404 64.1 
			  5QH Gloucestershire PCT 399 578,631 69.0 
			  5QJ Bristol Teaching PCT 350 410,487 85.3 
			  5QK Wiltshire PCT 301 448,711 67.1 
			  5QL Somerset PCT 392 518,637 75.6 
			  5QM Dorset PCT 292 403,046 72.4 
			  5QN Bournemouth & Poole Teaching PCT 228 298,038 76.5 
			  5QP Cornwall & Isles Of Scilly PCT 388 526,369 73.7 
			  5QQ Devon PCT 603 740,819 81.4 
			  TAL Torbay Care Trust 104 133,201 78.1

Health: Hepatitis B

Baroness Masham of Ilton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the current vaccination policy to protect people in high risk groups from hepatitis B infection; and
	Whether they will introduce a campaign to encourage people at risk from hepatitis B to seek vaccine protection.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is currently reviewing the hepatitis B immunisation programme. Its advice is expected later this year.

Health: Junior Doctors

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the average lodging charge for non-resident junior doctors staying overnight in hospital for part of their shift.

Lord Darzi of Denham: When a non-resident junior doctor is required to stay in hospital overnight as part of their on-call duties, accommodation is provided free of charge.
	Junior doctors who are required to stay overnight in hospital to work on a full shift are expected to be working continuously throughout the shift, with the exception of natural breaks, and sleeping accommodation is not normally necessary. However, rest accommodation is provided free of charge.

Health: Pain Relief

Lord Luce: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to carry out an audit of the current provision of services for the treatment of pain in England.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The department has no current plans to carry out an audit of the provision of pain services in England. The newly formed National Clinical Audit Advisory Group is considering topics for future audits, and we will bring this to its attention.

Health: Pain Relief

Lord Luce: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made into provision of services for the treatment of pain since the recommendation of the Clinical Standards Advisory Services Group report on services for NHS patients with acute and chronic pain in 2000.

Lord Darzi of Denham: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) to commission services for people with pain, taking into account resources they have available, the needs of their wider population and available guidance on best practice. The quality of services should be monitored locally to ensure it is provided to meet the needs of the local population. The department is supporting commissioning through the recent publication of an 18-week pathway for the management and treatment of chronic pain. NHS Choices has also provided information that will raise the awareness of chronic pain and treatments.
	As part of the NHS next stage review, which I lead, working groups of local clinicians in each strategic health authority have carried out a detailed review of clinical pathways across all areas of healthcare, and have identified what they believe to be the best models of care for local patients. The results have now been published and PCTs will now be responsible for working out in discussion with local partners, patients and the general public how best to commission the proposed improvements.

Health: Sexually Transmitted Infections

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the light of the review of the National Health Service by Lord Darzi of Denham and their commitment to reducing the burden of sexually transmitted infections on society and the National Health Service, what steps will they take to reduce the number of cases of genital warts, given the recent decision by the Department of Health to exclude their prevention from the forthcoming human papillomavirus immunisation programme.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Government are committed to tackling sexually transmitted infections, including genital warts. This commitment was underlined in the next steps review, which identified sexual health as being one of six priority areas for primary care trusts to commission comprehensive well-being and prevention services to meet the needs of their local population.
	Considerable progress has been made on the target to offer appointments within 48 hours at genito-urinary medicine services. The figures for March 2008 show that 98.9 per cent. of first attendees were offered an appointment within 48 hours, compared to only 45 per cent in 2005. Early access to services is very important to ensure rapid treatment which lowers the risk of onward transmission of infections.
	In November 2006, the department launched the Condom Essential Wear campaign to tackle sexually transmitted infections and the behaviours that contribute to their spread. The campaign is picking up excellent recognition rates among the target audience.

Health: Vaccines

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the light of the recent review of the National Health Service by Lord Darzi of Denham, whether they will extend the commitment to greater transparency to the review and recommendation process for vaccines.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Joint Committee on Vaccine and Immunisation (JCVI) gives advice to Ministers on vaccines based on the best evidence reflecting current good practice and/or expert opinion. The process involves a robust, transparent, and systematic appraisal of all the available evidence from a wide range of sources. The JCVI is appointed by the Appointments Commission and is independent of the department.

House of Lords: Pork and Bacon

Lord Hoyle: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Further to his Written Answers on 3 April (WA 198) and 29 April (WA 18), what priority is given to (a) the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative; (b) farm assurance; (c) animal welfare; and (d) health and nutrition, when purchasing bacon; and whether the policy on purchasing bacon has been reviewed in the light of the change in value of the pound in relation to the euro.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The Refreshment Department follows House of Lords procurement policy which is based on value for money with due regard to propriety and regularity. Value for money is defined as "the optimum combination of whole-life cost and quality (or fitness for purpose) to meet the customer's requirement". The House is responsible for ensuring it complies appropriately with its legal obligations under the European Union and national procurement rules and other international agreements. Consideration is given to objectives of the Public Sector Procurement Initiative which include farm assurance, animal welfare and health and nutrition as part of the tendering process for supplies.
	The procurement of bacon is included in the three-year meat supplies framework contract which commenced in September 2006. The policy on purchasing bacon has been reviewed but no change has been made as Dutch bacon continues to represent better value for money per kilo than English bacon. Since January, Dutch bacon has increased in price by 18.4 per cent from £3.92 to £4.64 per kilo and English bacon has increased by 15.8 per cent from £6.33 to £7.33 per kilo.

Housing: Unoccupied Dwellings

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many unoccupied dwellings there are in (a) England, (b) the east of England, and (c) Essex.

Baroness Andrews: The table below shows the number of unoccupied dwellings in England, East of England and Essex in 2007.
	
		
			 Area Vacant Dwellings  at 8 October 2007 
			 England 762,635 
			 East of England 69,072 
			 Essex 20,452 
			 Source:  Council Tax Base (CTBI) returns

Money: Banknotes

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of each denomination of banknote is allowed to be printed and circulated in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Decisions on the percentage of each denomination of banknote ordered to be printed and put into circulation in Northern Ireland and Scotland by the seven commercial banks authorised to issue banknotes in those countries (four in Northern Ireland and three in Scotland) are entirely a matter for each of those banks, in the light of demand from their customers.

Planning: Brownfield Land

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the estimated total area of brownfield land available for development in (a) England, (b) the east of England, and (c) Essex.

Baroness Andrews: Figures published by my department in June 2007 in the document Previously—developed land that may be available for development: England 2006 show estimated totals for vacant and derelict land of 34,850ha (23,630ha with planning allocation or permission) in England; 3,570ha (3,270ha with planning allocation or permission) in the east of England, of which 1,070ha is located in Essex. Some of this land will have been cleared and be available for development, whereas other land would require varying degrees of treatment before development could take place.
	These estimates are based on the National Land Use Database of Previously Developed Land (NLUD-PDL), managed by English Partnerships on behalf of my department, using annual figures supplied by local authorities covering (i) vacant and derelict land and also (ii) land currently in use with known potential for development. Information on the sites is available from the NLUD website at: www.nlud.org.uk.

Planning: Eco-towns

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What response they will send to the United Kingdom Federation of Master Builders concerning its statement of 1 July objecting to the plan for separate new eco-towns.

Baroness Andrews: The Government received a submission from the United Kingdom Federation of Master Builders in response to the consultation paper, Eco-towns: Living a greener future. This stage of the consultation considered potential locations of eco-towns and how they might be delivered. The consultation closed on 30 June, and the Government will provide a statement on the responses received in due course. We will draw on these responses to inform the second stage of consultation on the draft sustainability appraisal and draft planning policy statement.

Prisoners: Increased Sentences

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many prisoners had their sentences increased in each of the past five years as a result of contravening prison rules.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Prisoners found guilty of offences against prison discipline under the prison rules may receive any of a range of punishments including, in more serious cases, up to 42 additional days in custody, imposed by an independent adjudicator. Data on punishments imposed at adjudications is published annually in chapter 9 of Offender Management Caseload Statistics, available on the Ministry of Justice website at www.iustice.gov.uk/docs/omcs2006pdf. The numbers of prisoners who received the punishment of additional days in 2005 and 2006 were 7,630 and 7,828 respectively. Numbers by prisoner for earlier years are not available but the total number of punishments of additional days imposed for the years 2002 to 2006 are given in the table.
	
		
			  2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 
			 No. of punishments of additional days given per offence 32,793 6,368 9,454 12,040 12,566

Public Bodies

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many non-departmental public bodies were listed in the Public Bodies Directory in each of the past 10 years.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Public Bodies Directory is published annually by the Cabinet Office. Copies can be downloaded from www.civiIservice.gov.uk/about/public/bodies.asp and have been placed in the Libraries of the House. The public bodies reports show that the total number of NDPBs sponsored by the UK Government has fallen by 3.5 per cent over the past 10 years—from 857 in 1997 to 827 in 2007.

Public Prosecution Service

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 19 June (WA 197), whether the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland will review its policy of destroying prosecution files after two years, 10 years or 20 years; whether they will ensure such files are assessed by independent professional archivists for their preservation value; and whether there is an index available to the public detailing historic prosecution case files retained by the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The current policy of file destruction operated by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) was agreed with the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) and is in accordance with its guidance. The PPS has scheduled a review of its current policy with PRONI for summer 2008.
	The retention of files of historical interest is governed by the Public Records Act 1958 and individual files are reviewed by PRONI professional staff before being accepted as public records. All files are reviewed prior to destruction in accordance with the provisions of the Act and with PRONI guidance.
	There is currently no index available to the public detailing prosecution files of historic value currently in the possession of the PPS. This is a matter that will be reviewed by the PPS and PRONI as part of the forthcoming review.

Public Prosecution Service

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 19 June (WA 196), how many difficult, complex or sensitive cases were referred to the Attorney-General by the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland in the past three years; and what areas they covered.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: No figures are kept on the number of cases that are brought to the attention of this office by the Public Prosecution Service.
	As was explained in my Answer of 19 June, I superintend the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland and am answerable to Parliament for his actions and, through him, the Public Prosecution Service.
	In the course of my superintendence of his office, cases would be brought to my attention for my information, for the issue of my consent to prosecution, or for discussion; for example, as to whether the public interest requires prosecution. The director also draws to my attention cases to consider with a view to seeking leave to refer a sentence as unduly lenient to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration. The subject matter of the cases is varied and reflects the broad range of cases the PPS prosecutes.

Roads: Charging

Lord Dubs: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any plans to extend charges for road use.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: I refer the noble Lord to the Statement, Roads—Delivering Choice and Reliability, that I made today and the command paper presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Transport to which that referred.

Roads: Schemes under Construction

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In respect of each local authority road scheme under construction or with full approval, what is (a) the estimated cost at full approval stage; (b) the benefit to cost ratio at full approval stage; (c) the current estimated gross cost of completion; and (d) the benefit to cost ratio using the current estimated gross cost of completion.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Information on (a) and (c) is available in a table which has recently been published on the Department for Transport's website at the following weblink at: www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/major/majorscheme.pdf.
	On (b), the following table lists the benefit to cost ratios (BCR) of the local authority road schemes that are either under construction or at full approval stage. The schemes were appraised in different years and due to changes in the Government's appraisal methodology during this period, the BCRs reported have not all been calculated on the same basis, so they are not directly comparable between schemes.
	
		
			 Scheme Name Local Authority Benefit to Cost Ratio (BCR) at Full Approval 
			 Selly Oak Relief Road Birmingham City Council 2.8 
			 A6096 Ilkeston-Awsworth Link Derbyshire County Council 2.37 
			 East Leeds Link Road Leeds City Council 2.9 
			 Leeds Inner Ring Road—Stage 7 Leeds City Council 10.6 
			 Tunstall Northern Bypass Stoke-on-Trent Council 3.5 
			 Markham Vale (aka Markham Employment Growth Zone) Derbyshire County Council 2.85 
			 A631—West Bawtry Road Improvements Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council 8.5 
			 A66 Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor Darlington City Council 4.38 
			 Brierley Hill Access Network Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council 5.6 
			 M4 Junction 11 (Green Park Improvements) and Mereoak Roundabout Reading Borough Council 7.68 
			 Hemsworth to A1 Link Wakefield Metropolitan Borough Council 2.7 
			 Glasshoughton Coalfields Link Road Wakefield Metropolitan Borough Council 3.1 
			 Owen Street Level Crossing Relief Road Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council 2.69 
			 Rugby Western Relief Road Warwickshire County Council 5.13 
			 A688 Wheatley Hill to Bowburn Link Road Durham County Council 3.7 
			 A47 Earl Shilton Bypass Leicestershire County Council 5.6 
			 A1073—Spalding to Eye Improvement Scheme Lincolnshire County Council 4.85 
			 North Middlesbrough Accessibility Improvements North Middlesbrough Council 6.29 
			 B1115—Stowmarket Relief Road Suffolk County Council 2.63 
			 Ridgmont Bypass and Woburn Link Road Bedfordshire County Council 4.3 
			 A6 Bedford Western Bypass Bedfordshire County Council 3.6 
		
	
	Information on (d), the benefit to cost ratio using the current estimated gross cost of completion, is not available.

Tax Credits

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the working tax credit has cost to administer in each of the past five years.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The costs of managing and paying the child and working tax credits in the financial years from 2003-04 are shown in the table below. Costs are not kept separately for child tax credit and working tax credit.
	
		
			 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2008-09 (provisional) 
			 £406 million £474 million £467 million £587 million £581 million

Thames Gateway Bridge

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What recent discussions they have had with external stakeholders regarding the proposed Thames Gateway bridge.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The proposed Thames Gateway bridge is a Transport for London project, and is therefore a matter for the Mayor. Questions about external stakeholder engagement should be directed to the Mayor of London. Naturally, Government continue to offer advice and assistance where applicable.

Transport: Heavy Goods Vehicles

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	(a) how many heavy goods vehicles have been checked on the A55 in North Wales during the last year for (1) weight offences, (2) drivers' hours offences, (3) mechanical condition offences, and (4) speeding; (b) how many of these vehicles received immediate prohibitions; (c) how many of these vehicles were registered outside the United Kingdom; (d) how many such vehicles or drivers of them were subject to more than one prohibition notice; and (e) what action has been taken by the state in which the vehicle was registered.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The table below shows the heavy goods vehicle enforcement checks carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency on the A55 from July 2007 to June 2008.
	
		
			  Traffic Checks (inc. Weighing) (a) Drivers Hours Prohibitions (2) Weighing (1) Overloading Prohibitions (1) Roadworthiness Checks* (a) Mechanical Prohibitions (3) of which Immediate (b) 
			 Austria 18 8 14 4 14 4 2 
			 Belgium 6 2 3 1 3 2 1 
			 Bosnia-Herzegovina 2 1 2 0 1 2 1 
			 Bulgaria 7 2 5 0 3 2 2 
			 Czech Republic 22 5 15 1 17 9 5 
			 Denmark 11 5 11 2 15 6 4 
			 Eire 1,229 478 817 276 813 442 170 
			 Estonia 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Germany 50 18 25 8 29 13 6 
			 Great Britain 253 62 131 29 182 88 37 
			 Greece 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Hungary 20 8 15 3 4 2 0 
			 Italy 17 7 10 5 25 11 4 
			 Latvia 13 2 10 4 10 3 2 
			 Lithuania 16 4 10 6 7 3 2 
			 Luxemburg 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Netherlands 135 59 76 15 58 31 6 
			 Northern Ireland 180 86 101 39 130 74 30 
			 Norway 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Other Country not listed 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Poland 142 28 90 21 76 37 16 
			 Portugal 0 0 0 0 5 4 1 
			 Romania 7 0 4 0 4 3 2 
			 Slovakia 15 4 12 0 0 0 0 
			 Slovenia 9 6 5 0 5 3 2 
			 Spain 11 2 8 6 9 4 2 
			 Switzerland 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Turkey 3 2 3 0 4 0 0 
			  2,174 793 1,371 420 1,414 743 295 
			 UK 433 148 232 68 312 162 67 
			 Non-UK (c) 1,741 645 1,139 352 1,102 581 228 
			 * For roadworthiness checks, for articulated vehicles and those with trailers, the motor vehicle and trailer are checked separately and counted as such. 
			 (d) of all the vehicles checked, more than one prohibition issued—UK:43, Non-UK: 182, Total: 225 
		
	
	(e) Copies of all prohibitions issued are sent to the competent authority in the home country of the operator and driver for them to take relevant action and/or initiate more in-depth investigations with the company concerned.
	(4) North Wales Police cannot separately identify from their records HGVs from other types of vehicles detected speeding on the A55.

UN: Convenant on Civil and Political Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will accept the right of individual petition under the Optional Protocol to the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government remain to be convinced of the practical value to the United Kingdom citizen of rights of individual petition to the United Nations. The UN committees that consider petitions are not courts, and they cannot award damages, or produce a legal ruling on the meaning of the law. In 2004, we acceded to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. One of our reasons for doing so was to enable us to consider, on a more empirical basis, the merits of the right of individual petition. We are currently reviewing the United Kingdom's experience under the optional protocol.

Vaccination and Immunisation

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How strategic health authorities (a) assess and (b) report the impact on National Health Service resources of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's guidance for non-routine immunisations.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are able to monitor the uptake of both routine and non-routine immunisations through the annual publication, NHS Immunisation Statistics. The most recent publication is for 2006-07, copies of which have been placed in the Library and are also available on the information centre for health and social care's website at: www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/immunisation
	Primary care trusts, which are the local providers of services, are held to account by their SHA based on the services commissioned.

Vehicles: Checks

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many checks on foreign-registered vehicles were carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in each of the past three years; and how many vehicles failed these checks.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) carried out the following number of check and prohibitions on foreign-registered vehicles in the last three years:
	
		
			 Year  Checks Prohibitions 
			 2005-06 HGV 33,353 8,179 
			  Trailers 7,134 3,043 
			  PSV 1,154 89 
			 2006-07 HGV 52,864 15,294 
			  Trailers 15,054 6,981 
			  PSV 793 138 
			 2007-08 HGV 46,691 18,131 
			  Trailers 15,405 7,578 
			  PSV 933 218

Waste Management: Brofiscin Quarry

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Answer by Lord Rooker on 28 March 2007 (Official Report, col. 1645), whether the Environment Agency Wales has obtained clarification of the liabilities of Solutia Incorporated or Monsanto under Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in relation to pollution at Brofiscin Quarry; and, if so, what are these liabilities.

Lord Rooker: I have been informed by the Environment Agency Wales that before the full extent of liabilities for remediating Brofiscin Quarry can be established, the Environment Agency must determine the "appropriate person or persons". The Environment Agency has completed its investigations but has not yet formally made a determination, although it expects to do so shortly in compliance with the relevant legislation and statutory guidance.

Waste Management: Brofiscin Quarry

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Answer by Lord Rooker on 28 March 2007 (Official Report, col. 1645) and the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 2 April (WA 184), whether, in the light of the United States bankruptcy court's approval of the agreement designating Brofiscin Quarry as a legacy site, there are any impediments to the enforcement of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to recover the costs of remediation of that site.

Lord Rooker: I have been informed by the Environment Agency Wales that the agreement made between Solutia Inc and Monsanto in the US Bankruptcy Court does not impede the Environment Agency's ability to enforce the provisions of Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act as these apply to Brofiscin Quarry.

Whitehall: Pavement Works

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What will be the total cost, including fees and other expenses, of the pavement works in Whitehall and Great George Street; and when they expect these to be completed.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The total cost of the Whitehall Streetscape Improvement Project, which includes the pavement works in Whitehall and Great George Street, will be £25,000,000. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2010 and is being delivered by means of a rolling programme of phased works.
	Works on Great George Street and Horse Guards Road have already been completed. The area in front of HM Revenue and Customs on Parliament Street is nearly complete and is now open to the public. Works outside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be completed in time for winter 2008; and the works outside Horse Guards and 70 Whitehall are expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2009.